Two men who have battled physical difficulties of various kinds, and overcome them, were yesterday named by team captain Curtis Strange as the final two pieces in the US Ryder Cup team's jig-saw for the defence of the Ryder Cup at the Belfry on September 28th-30th.
In nominating Paul Azinger, who battled successfully to overcome lymphoma cancer, and Scott Verplank, a diabetic who had an unrelated arm injury that threatened his career and necessitated 18 months away from the sport, Strange put down a marker that he will be very much his own man come the match with Europe next month. Verplank is the first US player without previous Ryder Cup experience to be given a captain's pick.
"I wanted players with the biggest hearts, that have the games to dominate the course and their opponents in a matchplay situation but who also have the brains, experience and character to handle the atmosphere," insisted Strange, who added that making the calls to players who didn't make the team - particularly Tom Lehman, who finished 11th in the table - had constituted the "dark side" of the captaincy.
Strange, however, went down the qualifying list to make his two picks. Azinger, a three-time Ryder Cup player, whose last appearance came in the 1993 match at the Belfry, finished 22nd in the standings, while Verplank, who will be making his debut in the event, was 14th at the conclusion of the US PGA, the final counting tournament for the American team.
Verplank's selection means that the US will have three first-timers in their side: David Toms played his way into the team with victory in the US PGA, while Stewart Cink - who has played in the Presidents Cup - will also be making his Ryder Cup debut.
The full team is: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Mark Calcavecchia, Toms, Davis Love, Scott Hoch, Jim Furyk, Hal Sutton, Cink, Verplank and Azinger.
"Scott's a very, very good ball striker with no shortcomings. Over the past two years he just never seems to have a bad tournament. He is a player with plenty of heart, who wakes up every day being a fighter. He has overcome injuries and is fighting diabetes every day and, although he is a so-called rookie, I think experience is overblown a little bit," said Strange.
His elevation to Ryder Cup player has come at the end of a long, hard road for Verplank. Ten years ago on the US Tour - in the 1991 season - he played 26 times and only made the cut once. At the end of that year he had unsuccessful microsurgery on an elbow injury before undergoing major surgery that meant he didn't play at all in 1992.
"I never even considered quitting the game, I am just not that sort of person. But overcoming that injury has made me a better player and toughened me up," claimed Verplank, whose most recent tour win came in last year's Reno-Tahoe Open which he defends this week. That victory ended a winless spell that extended to 12 years and 27 days since his previous win (the Buick Open), the fourth longest duration in US Tour history.
Azinger, meanwhile, said that his call-up was "a big deal . . . it's not winning a major championship, but to be considered worthy enough to play on the team even though I didn't make it on points is pretty nice."
Of his selection, Strange said: "Paul's the complete package. He's a good leader, a terrific motivator in the locker room, but he has been picked for his game." The US captain also revealed he had asked a number of players who had made the team automatically who they would like to see play, and that Azinger's name had come up repeatedly.
In the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island, the so-called "War on the Shore", Azinger - who had a singles win over Jose Maria Olazabal - was one of those singled out for his jingoistic actions."I'm older and more mature now," he remarked. And, as to what happened at Brookline: "It's up to us to put our best foot forward and put all that behind us."
He also endured his own personal health battles. At the end of 1993, after he won the US PGA and played in his last Ryder Cup match, he was diagnosed with cancer but has successfully overcome the disease after chemotherapy and radiation treatment. When the Americans lost the 1995 match at Oak Hill, Azinger - who was there in a television capacity - went into the locker room and told them "this isn't so bad, the sun will come up in the morning."
Having played his hand by selecting Verplank and Azinger, Strange was happy with his lot. "When you have the three best players in the world on your team, you can't but be pleased. I have my bombers for the best ball (fourball), and players for the alternate shot (foursomes), the mix of persons is very good."
But Azinger warned: "The fact we look better on paper will probably motivate them."
PREVIOUS RYDER CUP PERFORMANCES
Won Lost Halved
Paul Azinger 5 6 2
Mark Calcavecchia 5 5 1
David Duval 1 2 1
Jim Furyk 2 4 0
Scott Hoch 2 0 1
Davis Love 6 8 3
Phil Mickelson 6 3 2
Hal Sutton 6 4 4
Tiger Woods 3 6 1
